No 9703, Wednesday 02 Dec 09, Sankalak

I like Sankalak, he uses words which are not obscure and come to mind easily
ACROSS
1 - Metal that somehow sells in eastern states (9,5) - STAINLESS ST{E}EL*
8 - Speak disparagingly of old bird won heartlessly (2,4) - {DO DO}{W(-o)N}
9 - Substance derived from oils, nice variety (8) - SILICONE*
11 - A cover in the ‘retiring room’? (9) - BEDSPREAD [CD]
12 - Make a law to contain alien activities (5) - ENACT [T]
13 - What a toper, fresh on the wagon, should avoid (7) - RELAPSE [E]
15 - Siachen for one (7) - GLACIER [E]
17 - Crude metal for a porker to press (3,4) - {PIG} {IRON}
19 - Weakened source of veal returned by detectives (7) - FLAC<-{CID}
21 - Mother gets a partner, ending dolour (5) - MATE{R}
23 - It goes with ashes in penitence (9) - SACKCLOTH [E]
25 - The rep stood shivering at the entrance (8) - DOORSTEP*
26 - Girl from Miami, right crazy (6) - MI{R}IAM*
27 - Source of power is, in a way, beginning to overwhelm, anger and assault follow (7,7) - {ST}{O}{RAGE} {BATTERY}
DOWN
1 - Would the left (or right) keep out this news item? (7) - SIDEBAR [CD]
2 - An assistant initiating dialogue is helped (5) - AIDE{D}
3 - It may be in your hands just now (9) - NEWSPAPER [CD]
4 - Noisy party becomes quiet at home, understand? (7) - {SH}{IN}{DIG}
5 - Food got from a journey east (5) - TRIP{E}
6 - A mango-ice preparation for one who thinks quite a bit of oneself (9) - EGOMANIAC*
7 - Bully who fell to Achilles’s weapon (6) - HECTOR [E]
10 - Throw a party for binding an alien in iron (4) - F{ET}E
14 - When darkness descends in the dorm … (6-3) - LIGHTS-OUT [E]
16 - Can a shirt expose one who does not believe in government? (9) - ANARCHIST*
17 - Cosmetic that an airforce officer produced (6) - {PO}{MADE}
18 - Money saved, something to induce layer activity (4,3) - NEST EGG [DD]
19 - Confront four musical notes (4) - {F}{A}{C}{E}
20 - 24 hours around the house somewhere in Africa (7) - DA{HOME}Y
22 - One who gets up part of a stair (5) - RISER [DD]
24 - Cool, that is where one can be in readiness for further attention (2,3) - ON ICE [CD]

GRID